1. Field of the Invention
In one aspect this invention relates to a method of fastening armor to a vehicle. In yet a further aspect this invention relates to auxiliary armor fastening devices.
2. Prior Art
It is often desirable to add additional armor material to existing military vehicles after the vehicle has been built. Sometimes these vehicles are armored in discrete segments so as to allow individual segments of the armor to be replaced for upgrade and or repair in the field. It has been proposed to fasten the armor segments to the vehicle by using threaded fasteners attached to the vehicle with the threaded ends extending away from the vehicle which would allow armor segments to be placed on the studs and the panels attached with nuts or similar fasteners.
The prior art plate structures allowed the upgrading and repair of armored vehicles in the field using threaded fasteners or rivets but have certain associated problems. In particular, when armor is struck, the nuts, rivet heads or other fastening means on the vehicle interior tend to break loose from the fastener body and become secondary projectiles endangering the vehicle occupants.
The hazards posed by the secondary projectiles was considered unacceptable and welding of armor has become the defacto standard of armoring vehicles. However, welding has its own set of disadvantages. Certain types of vehicles such as light weight general purpose trucks do not have a suitable structure with attachment points for welded armor panels limiting the vehicles to which armor can be applied to large vehicles. Further, because armor welding requires specialized techniques, welding equipment suitable for use on armor materials is not available for repairing vehicles in the field. Further certain types of advanced armors are not weldable and a mechanical fastening means is required.
It would be desirable to have a mechanical means of mounting armor segments on a vehicle which provides a means to limit the possibility of the mechanical fastening means becoming a secondary projectile.